


Herder

by HappyLeech



Category: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Genre: Gen, Goats, characters and tags to be added, shapeshifter AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-18
Updated: 2016-03-26
Packaged: 2018-05-27 10:27:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,238
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6280885
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HappyLeech/pseuds/HappyLeech
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It is widely believed that goats are ill suited to be heroes, even if they're hand picked by the goddesses themselves.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Heebum](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Heebum/gifts).



> My sister is entirely to blame for this. We were looking at the shit in Link’s house, and they were like ‘why does he have a framed, colour photo of a goat in his house’. That lead to them going ‘maybe that’s actually Link. We don’t know his origins.”
> 
> They also named Epona ‘Dick’ and pointed out the picture of the horse with a proud ‘look! It’s a Dick Pic!’ so I refuse to acknowledge them anymore
> 
> You know what you did

Hyrule has been, and always will be, a realm of magic. It’s simple fact that all Hyruleans understand that, and that all believe in it. But there are some forms of magic that simply don’t make sense, that they cannot bring themselves to believe in.

Link was the product of that impossible, improbable, magic. 

If pressed, the people of the village would shrug and hum and haw, before conceding that Link was found as a child, near where his home stands, and Rusl and Uli took care of him until he was old enough to care for himself, and start helping herd the goats.

If you asked Link, however, you wouldn’t get much of an answer. A confused and amused smile, maybe, and a shrug at most. He didn’t talk, and, well, even if he did, he wouldn’t feel comfortable talking about his past. 

About how he’d been with a trader, on the way to Kakriko village, when the storm hit. About how when the herd bolted, he’d been swept away too, only to find himself on the outskirts of Ordon Village. About how, instead of his stubby, just growing horns, he had hair. About how instead of hooves, he had fingers and toes.

About how the marking on his flank that was to fetch a high price was now on his hand.

He wasn’t going to tell anyone about that, even if he could.

 

It was 12 years later, and he was, no questions about it, a true member of the village. And he couldn’t believe that Rusl wanted him to be the one to take the sword to Hyrule Castle. He couldn’t even remember the last time he’d left the village…and even then his memories were clouded, the only things he remembered was good grazing spots.

Not of any real help for him, unless the princess needed a royal goat herder. Link snickered at the idea, and Rusl looked up.

“Now, what’s got you so amused?” he asked, and Link shook his head. It wasn’t like he could explain it- the idea of showing anyone from the castle where sweet clover grew was too ridiculous to entertain.

Now Rusl laughed, and he reached out, ruffling Link’s hair, before standing. “Well, it’s getting late in the day, and you know that Fado’ll be coming to get you to help him round up the goats before long. We should get back, hm?”

He held out his hand, and Link let him pull him up, before bouncing on the soles of his feet. He was the best with the goats, but that’s because they knew him. They’d come up to Link, demanding explanations he didn’t have, wondering who transformed one of the herd into People, and begging for treats. 

Epona was the same, but after 7 years as Link’s horse and companion, she knew that he didn’t have an explanation, and was as frustrated by it as the herd. He wasn’t meant to be one of the People, even if he had adjusted to the life. 

She nudged him with her head, and he laughed again as the three of then headed back to town. 

 

True to Rusl’s prediction, the tall man was waiting for them outside Link’s home, almost dancing in place as he waited for them to return.

“Hoy! Link! Care ta’ give me a hand with the goats? They ain’t listening to me lately,” he grumbled, kicking at the dirt. Rusl chuckled, and patted Fado on the shoulder, before heading back into town. “I dunno how you do it, but they love ya’.”

Link sighed, and shook his head, before nodding. He wasn’t going to leave the poor rancher to chase after uncooperative goats.

“Thank ya’ Link! But…wait, where’s Epona?” Both Fado and Link looked around surprised, before Link turned back the way him and Rusl had come from. With a wave, and after holding his hand up to keep Fado from leaving, Link began to walk back to the spring. 

It was probably Ilia, sneaking in and taking Epona while he was distracted. He didn’t mind the girl at most times, but she had a knack for absconding with Epona when the mare was needed.

And knowing this, Link skipped heading to the entrance of the spring, as Ilia had a tendency to lock it when she had Epona with her, and kneeled down, crawling into a short tunnel that led to the spring.

One of these days she was going to block that too, and he’d be forced to climb over the gate. Grimacing at the thought, Link pulled himself from the tunnel, making Ilia look over.

“Oh! Link! I was just giving Epona a wash-- you really should treat her better, you know,” she said, and Link grinned. If Epona had any complaints, she didn’t tell him, but he did know that she occasionally enjoyed Ilia’s pampering. 

He walked into the spring with them, patting Epona on the nose, before cocking his head at Ilia, and pointing to the gate.

“Hmph.” Ilia pouted. “One day you’re gonna be busy and Fado’s just going to have to deal with the goats himself,” she said, before walking over to the gate, pulling it open.   
“Maybe you should be in charge of the ranch, not him.”

Link shrugged as he climbed onto Epona, urging her into a trot. It didn’t matter, really. He still spent a good deal of time with the herd, even though he wasn’t an official employee. After all, it seemed more like he was going to be Rusl’s successor, rather than a herder. 

“There ya’ are, Link! Okay, meet me back at the ranch then-“ Spotting him and Epona, Fado turned and dashed off. 

Link shook his head. If he could, he’d let Fado know that the goats didn’t listen because he didn’t spend enough time with them, and he always ran off for help too soon. It was no wonder they didn’t listen.

Link deftly maneuvered Epona past milling villagers, nodding to each as he was greeted, before stopping in the middle of the ranch field.

All around him, he could hear the herd chattering, from discussing Fado and Link, to the sour patch of grass near the fence. He’d have to look into that, but later. 

Fado had, surprisingly, been able to corral half the herd, but the others avoided him, or flat outright ignored the rancher, instead choosing to continue grazing. Clicking his tongue against his teeth, Link urged Epona into a light run, listening to the complaints of the herd as they returned to the stable. 

Tomorrow, he’d make sure Fado replaced the straw, and deal with that sour patch. But tonight, he was going home. He was tired, and if he didn't sleep soon, Epona would stand outside and chide him until he did.


	2. Chapter 2

“Hey! Link! Wake up, it’s morning!”

Blinking, Link huffed, and sat up from his blanket nest of a bed. With a yawn, he peeked his head out of the window, and waved.

Even if it was his day to relax…he wasn’t really going to. Not with the children around.

Rolling up his bedding took few minutes, and soon he was standing out in the sun with Colin, Talo, Malo, and Beth. The children were arguing about a slingshot, and Link barely contained a sigh. He was going to be the one buying it, wasn’t he?

Not that he really minded-- the children would play with it for a few minutes, before it was Link’s again. And he could think of a few uses for a slingshot.

“Oh! Link, I, uh-“ Turning to Colin, Link smiled reassuringly. The younger boy was shy, but Link had time to wait. “I finished the fishing rod I was making you…Dad told me to wait for you to come get it though, so I didn’t bring it with me…you can ask my mom about it though!”

Link gave him a thumbs up, before heading into town. Hopefully it’d be a 5, 10 minute detour, and then he could entertain the children, and go and check on the herd.

 

No such luck. 

 

Sera, Beth’s mother and Ordon Village shop keeper, was slumped against the counter, sighing as she sloshed milk in circles in a bottle. When he entered, it took her a good minute to realize he was there, and another 30 seconds to speak.

“Oh…Link…hello there, dearie.” She sighed. Link waited. “You…didn’t happen to see my little cat out there, did you?” Link shook his head, and she let out another sigh. “My poor kitty…she ate the fish we were to have for supper, you see, and I gave her a scolding. But then she ran off, and hasn’t come back since!”

Sera sighed again, and Link patted her shoulder, before turning and leaving the shop. 

“Oi! Link!” Jaggle was sitting on top of one of the tall stones in the center of town, and after a second, Link scaled the rock to stand with him. “Isn’t that Sera’s cat down there? Does the stupid thing really think it can catch a fish?” he started to laugh, and Link smiled even though he was sure that Anri, the cat, could catch a fish if she really wanted to.

“Anyways, I actually wanted to tell you about the grass on the next rock- isn’t that like the reeds that Epona likes?” Link looked to where Jaggle was pointing, and cocked his head to the side. He hadn’t seen that grass before—Epona’s was shaped almost like a horse shoe, but this stuff looked vaguely like a bird.

Shrugging, Link picked some, and blew into it. He wasn’t expecting the hawk that flew down, and landed on his arm.

_‘You’re not one of the People, so why do you look like one?’_ the bird asked, baffled, and Link only shrugged. He didn’t have an answer. 

_‘Well then…why did you call on me?’_ the bird asked, perturbed, and Link almost let it fly away before noticing something hopping up and down on a rock, further out in the pond. He pointed, and the hawk laughed, a cheery caw of approval. _‘You want me to steal from the thieving monkey? I can do that.’_

The hawk alighted from Links shoulder, speeding to where the monkey apparently was, grabbing something in it’s talons. 

The monkey screeched, furious. The hawk dropped a baby basket into Link’s arms, before flying away.

It was…well, interesting, that’s for sure. 

Ignoring Jaggle’s gaping mouth, Link hopped across the rocks, and down to solid ground. The basket was Uli’s, and he was sure she was missing it. 

 

He wasn’t wrong.

 

“Oh! Link, you found the cradle, oh thank you.” She’d been doing laundry, and when she saw the basket in Link’s hand, a smile broke out on her face. “I thought it’d been lost forever, once that monkey took it…Oh! If you could, could you carry it to the house? I have the fishing rod for you as well.”

Link nodded, waiting for Uli to lead the way. He knew where the house was, but he wasn’t going to be rude. 

Once she reached the porch, she eased herself down onto it, a hand cradling her stomach, and the other searching for something behind her.

“It’s the first time Colin’s tried making something like this, so it’s a little…rough.” She said, passing over a fishing rod. Link smiled—he was sure it’d work perfectly. With a light touch on her shoulder, he waved goodbye, before turning to the pond. 

So Anri had stolen a fish? Link was sure the temperamental cat was trying to catch another in apology.

_‘Go ‘way,’_ the cat hissed, not looking up as he approached. _‘Can catch by self—shoo!’_

Link ignored Anri. Maybe if the water was higher, or she was a larger cat, she could do it. But as it was, she wasn’t going to catch anything but fleas. Link ignored her hissing, and cast out into the water. 

Greengills were small fish, but he was sure Anri just wanted ANY fish to bring home to Sera. After a few moments spent bobbing the hook and one recast, Link pulled back the rod with a furious yank, a fish flying off to land in the grass behind him.

_‘Mine!’_ Anri snarled, snatching it up and bolting. Link let her, watching amused as she sped towards home. He could practically hear Sera’s delighted squeal.

He took his time walking back to the store, saying hello to the chickens and catching a goat that Fado had inadvertently let loose.

_‘Sour grass, don’t like,’_ the goat had grumbled as Link rubbed it down. Link made note to tell Fado about it…somehow.

Entering the store, Sera was back to normal, petting Anri as she drank milk from a saucer. _‘Thank. Could have myself,’_ the cat said as Sera told Link how her precious kitty had caught a fish for her.

He bought the slingshot, and Sera sighed. 

“Aren’t you a little old for toys?” she asked, and he shrugged. Slingshots could hurt—he knew this—and at least then Talo wouldn’t have it to practice hitting chickens or goats.

Back in front of his house, the children were still talking, but Rusl was there as well, back from whatever business he’d had that morning.

“I dropped off some things for you inside,” he said, and Link nodded. It was probably the wooden sword, and from the looks the children were giving him, he knew to go get it.

As soon as he had it strapped to his back, the children gathered around him—minus Colin who was lingering around Epona—demanding that he show off both the slingshot and his sword.

 

Then the monkey showed up.

 

With a cry, Talo, Malo, and Beth raced after it, leaving Link and Colin behind. Link motioned for him to stay, before swinging up onto Epona’s back.

_‘Dangerous,’_ she nickered, and he agreed. 

Beth hadn’t run far, neither had Malo, but Talo had opened the gate (or had something else opened it first?) and crossed over the bridge. The woods were dangerous for one person, alone, but a child…His mouth set in a grim line, and he urged Epona into a gallop, clearing the second gate with ease.

_‘Dark,’_ she warned him, and he nodded, pulling her reigns, stopping in a clearing.

“Hey! You lookin’ to go in that cave? It’s pretty dark there, guy.” There was a man with a bird nest in his hair sitting by a fire, and he waved Link over. “Here, take this!”

Link hopped down from Epona’s back, and approached the man, who beamed at him, and shoved a lantern into his hands. Link raised an eyebrow, looking over the lamp, before reaching into his pocket for his rupee pouch.

“Oh! No no, this is free, buddy! I sell lamp oil, so the lamp is free but the oil isn’t. I can refill your lamp for 20 rupees!” he grinned at Link, who checked the lamp, before shaking his head. The lamp was full of oil for now.

“Well, be careful in there, guy!” the man said cheerfully. Link shrugged, then waved goodbye. What a weird man…

Inside of the cave was a toy wooden sword. 

 

Talo’s.

 

Any relaxed feelings from talking to the lantern man disappeared, and Link found himself clenching his jaw, worried. If something happened to the children…he didn’t want to think of it.

The monsters in the cave were almost like the animals, but not quite. Nothing they said made any sense, he couldn’t wrap his mind around what they were saying, so Link gritted his teeth and forced his way through into the forest proper. They weren’t People, and they weren’t Animal, so he could kill them.

Or that’s what he’d told himself.

The forest was filled with monsters Link’d never seen before; not that he’d seen many, but he’d looked at books. They were also…it wasn’t the same as sparing with Rusl or wrestling the goats when they got loose. It was worse, scarier. 

Rusl was never…bloodthirsty, and the goats never wished for murder.

But despite all his nerves screaming at him to run, to go home and take comfort in the Herd, Link persisted. He wasn’t going to leave Talo behind, not when monsters roamed the area. So he powered through the gate keeping him from the temple, and drove away the monsters in the next area.

“Thank you! Buy something!” A bird crowed at him in human tongue, and Link didn’t bother replying. Why should he, if the bird wasn’t speaking normally? Besides, he could hear crying, and a monkey screaming threats up ahead. 

But instead of the monkey holding Talo hostage, it was him and the monkey in a cage, more of the monsters surrounding them. And as Link, drew closer, the monsters began to snarl, hissing as he approached.

He wasn't meant to fight—he was a herd animal, meant only to graze and preform the occasional headbutt if threatened. But he wasn’t going to turn back, not because two things were yelling at him. 

Talo was crying so hard, and the monkey yelling so loudly, that they didn't notice Link approach. And even after he dispatched the two monsters who where standing guard, they didn't notice until Link smashed the wooden bars that kept them caged. 

The monkey leapt out as soon as possible, voicing her thanks as she escaped, and Talo ran sobbing into Link, any words he was saying an unintelligible mess. Frowning, Link picked up Talo, and began the walk back. The adults would be worried, even if the other children hadn’t already mentioned what had happened. 

Partway through the dark tunnel—Link would have to find a good way to thank the lantern man—and Talo squirmed loose. Link let him run ahead-- he was probably embarrassed, from by being caught, from crying, and from being carried. 

As they reached the mouth of the cave, he spun, looking up at Link. “You can't tell my dad I went in there, okay? You gotta promise you won't! He told me and Malo to never ever go into the woods.”

Link sighed, and nodded. It wasn't like he could tell Jaggle about what Talo had done. Colin though had probably already gone to his father though, but that was nothing Link had control over. 

“Thanks Link!” Talo spun, dashing towards home, and Link turned back to where the lantern man was. 

_‘Rusl here.’_ Epona nickered just as Rusl walked into sight, and Link raised a hand in greeting. 

“Colin told me that Talo’d gone into the forest, but I see everything was in your capable hands.” Rusl said, patting him on the shoulder. 

Link nodded with a small smile on his face. He'd done good, but he hated every minute of it. Hopefully next time—if there was one—Rusl would be around to take command. 

“Well, it’s your day off, isn't it? Go home and relax-- you leave tomorrow for Hyrule Castle.” Rusl turned towards the village, and sighed. “I'll have to talk to Jaggle about Talo’s risk taking, and I'm sure you don't want to be part of that conversation.”

No he didn't. 

_‘Home. Carrots.’_ Epona nudged his shoulder, and Link laughed, before leading her home. 

 

Carrots sounded like a wonderful idea.

**Author's Note:**

> I haven't played this game in a while but my sister got the HD version sO-
> 
> I'm sorry


End file.
